1. Salmonella Outbreak Slideshow Pictures
2. Quiz: Test Your Summer Food Safety IQ
3. Food Poisoning Slideshow Pictures

Medical Author:

Charles Patrick Davis, MD, PhD

Charles Patrick Davis, MD, PhD

Dr. Charles "Pat" Davis, MD, PhD, is a board certified Emergency Medicine doctor who currently practices as a consultant and staff member for hospitals. He has a PhD in Microbiology (UT at Austin), and the MD (Univ. Texas Medical Branch, Galveston). He is a Clinical Professor (retired) in the Division of Emergency Medicine, UT Health Science Center at San Antonio, and has been the Chief of Emergency Medicine at UT Medical Branch and at UTHSCSA with over 250 publications.

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Medical Editor:

Mary D. Nettleman, MD, MS, MACP

Mary D. Nettleman, MD, MS, MACP

Mary D. Nettleman, MD, MS, MACP is the Chair of the Department of Medicine at Michigan State University. She is a graduate of Vanderbilt Medical School, and completed her residency in Internal Medicine and a fellowship in Infectious Diseases at Indiana University.

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Medical Editor:

Melissa Conrad Stöppler, MD

Melissa Conrad Stöppler, MD

Melissa Conrad Stöppler, MD, is a U.S. board-certified Anatomic Pathologist with subspecialty training in the fields of Experimental and Molecular Pathology. Dr. Stöppler's educational background includes a BA with Highest Distinction from the University of Virginia and an MD from the University of North Carolina. She completed residency training in Anatomic Pathology at Georgetown University followed by subspecialty fellowship training in molecular diagnostics and experimental pathology.

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In this Article

• Listeriosis (Listeria monocytogenes infection) facts
• What is listeriosis? What causes listeriosis?
• What are listeriosis symptoms and signs?
• What are the risk factors for listeriosis?
• How is listeriosis diagnosed?
• What is the treatment for listeriosis?
• How does a person get listeriosis?
• Can listeriosis be prevented?
• What is the prognosis (outcome) for Listeria infections?
• If a person has eaten recalled food potentially contaminated with Listeria, what should he or she do?
• What is the government doing about listeriosis?
• Salmonella Outbreak - Slideshow
• Take the Quiz: Summer Food Safety
• Pictures of Food Poisoning - Slideshow
• Find a local Doctor in your town
• Listeria Index

Fever, muscle aches, and, occasionally, nausea or diarrhea (or both) are the usual symptoms associated with listeriosis. These symptoms usually last up to one week and spontaneously resolve. However, in some people, the organisms can spread to the brain. The symptoms of meningitis (stiff neck, headache, and fever), altered mental status (confusion, reduced mental activity), balance problems, and seizures develop in brain infections. Brain abscesses may also occur and cause similar symptoms. The incubation period between exposure and symptoms is quite variable and may extend up to two months according to some investigators.

Pregnant women who are otherwise healthy usually have only minor symptoms. However, Listeria organisms in pregnant females often cause miscarriage, stillbirth, premature birth, or cause infection and, potentially, death of the newborn. About 30% of all listeriosis infections reported in the U.S. occur in pregnant females.

Occasionally, localized skin infections may occur, especially in people who handle animals that are infected with Listeria. These skin infections rarely lead to further complications such as brain infection.

According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), mortality (death) rates can be in the range off about 20%.